A new military man in charge

Iraq veteran adjusts as ROTC commander at CMU.

Iraq veteran adjusts as ROTC commander at CMU.

July 04, 2008|JOE BORLIK CM Life

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) -- At the height of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Lt. Col. Aaron Kalloch found himself in the midst of Saddam Hussein loyalists. Kalloch, Central Michigan University's new chair of the military science department, fought resistance forces during two tours of duty in Iraq. "Our brigade was stationed in the Haifa Street area north of the Green Zone in Iraq, which was right where ... all the Saddam loyalists were," he said. "We ended up with over 200 casualties, and a soldier next to me got shot." Less than a year removed from combat, Kalloch now finds himself in charge of Central Michigan's Reserve Officers Training Corps program. He took over on May 5 after Maj. Gregg Mays' retirement. With more than eight awards and decorations, including the Bronze Star, Kalloch brings 18 years of military experience to the program. "I'm extremely excited to train and inspire our future leaders," Kalloch said. "It's great to watch cadets grow and mature, developing the confidence they need to be successful." Before arriving at CMU, Kalloch, who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, served five years at Fort Hood, Texas, with the 1st Cavalry Division. During that time he served two missions in Iraq, his first being from March 2004 to March 2005 and the second lasting from July 2006 to June 2007. Kalloch and his men eventually stabilized the war zone, a testament to the kind of perseverance and toughness he plans to apply to his cadets. "These are the types of leadership skills I want to apply to them," he said. "They need to know what's going on in the world." The program may be in the hands of a new leader, but Kalloch said the core fundamentals remain the same. "There will be no wholesale changes from what Major Mays had, but I will be making some slight adjustments and updates to fit my personality," he said. "The main focus will be to educate, train and inspire young men and women." Mays said Kalloch demands respect, and cadets should look up to him. "I really believe they will listen to him," Mays said. "With him in charge, I believe we could consistently be one of the top-ranked programs in the nation within three or four years."